


That's What I'm Here For

by twink_that_writes



Series: Chubby Javid Fluff [1]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Body Image, Canon Era, Chubby Jack Kelly, Cute Ending, F/M, Feelings, Fluff, Insecurity, M/M, Weight Gain, could be platonic or romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23057791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twink_that_writes/pseuds/twink_that_writes
Summary: Jack is feeling insecure, but thankfully Davey helps him feel better.
Relationships: David Jacobs & Jack Kelly, David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Jack Kelly/Katherine Plumber
Series: Chubby Javid Fluff [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1657099
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	That's What I'm Here For

**Author's Note:**

> I was going for a romantic kind of vibe, but it could be platonic if you want it to be.

Jack threw on an oversized shirt he never thought he’d have to use. It was all embarrassing really. In all his years of being a newsboy, of living on his own, he always had problems to deal with. He just never thought one of his problems would be dealing with his weight.

After the whole strike, there were a few changes in his life. For one thing, Jack was earning a little extra money from not only selling but also drawing for the newspapers. He spent it on usually clothes and food for the other newsies, but when he had a little extra left, he’d usually buy stuff for himself. Usually food since he never had much of it growing up.

It was most likely that mixed with the fact that Katherine would invite him for dinner that he started gaining weight. It didn’t take long for his body to show the effects of everything he was eating. His pants began fitting him tightly, leaving red marks along his skin when he took them off. His shirt felt tighter too. The buttons pressed against his skin while some hardly even closed. Luckily, there were a few larger shirts laying around that he could use to cover himself up.

He was glad none of the newsies had noticed his recent weight gain because although he loved them all like family, they could be assholes sometimes. He wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to keep it a secret though. The only one that figured it out was Katherine. And she didn’t have the best reaction to it.

In fact, a week after she caught a glimpse of his new belly and a few stretch marks, she broke up with him. She said she didn’t find him “physically attractive” anymore and thought they should see other people. If even his own girlfriend didn’t like him, then how were the newsies going to react to their leader letting himself go the way he did?

Fortunately, there was one person he never would’ve guessed to help him feel better.

It happened one night after a long day of selling newspapers. He and his selling partner, Davey, were headed back to the lodging house. Jack could feel Davey’s gaze on him.

“Alright, what do you want?”

Davey was snapped from his thoughts. “What?”

“I noticed you staring all day. What’s that about?”

Davey’s grip on his bag tightened. “I was just…I noticed you seemed a bit more, uh, I guess you could say more down than usual. Are you ok?”

Jack just shrugged. “Of course, I’m fine, Davey. Why wouldn’t be fine?”

“Jack, I-”

“Look, thanks for worrying, but I’m all good.”

“But-” He was interrupted by the sound of thunder. The two of them looked up toward dark storm clouds. Rain began sprinkling from the sky.

“Shit,” Jack muttered. He looked around quickly. “C’mon, Davey, Medda’s theater ain’t too far from here. It’s closer than the lodging house.” He grabbed his friend’s arm and led him toward Medda’s theater.

The rain began coming down harder, so by the time they made it inside, they were both soaking wet. Jack looked out a window and sighed. “Guess we’re stuck here for a while. Get comfy.”

Davey sighed. He wrung out his hat and threw it to the side. He hugged himself to try to keep warm. As he looked around, his eyes landed on Jack and he noticed something he hadn’t before. The way Jack’s wet clothes clung to his body were different than a way Davey’s seen them before. His waist seemed to have a few more curves than he remembered and a rounder shape too. He wondered if that was what Jack was so insecure about.

“Jacky,” he said in a gentle voice, “Do you want to talk about something?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Something that might be getting you down? Bothering you?”

Jack sat in a way that showed his belly a little more, he must’ve noticed because he quickly covered up with his bag. “Nothin’s bothering me, Dave. Everything’s fine.” His tone showed that he wasn’t fine.

They sat in silence for a while.

Davey took off his vest and button up to let them dry, so he was wearing only his undershirt. He noticed Jack shivering. “You should probably take off your wet clothes. You could catch a cold.”

Jack gave him a look and turned away from him. “I’m fine.”

Davey sighed. “Jacky, you’re going to catch a cold. Trust me.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “I don’t care,” he muttered under his breath.

“C’mon, Jack.”

“No.”

“Jacky.”

“Fine!” Jack threw his soaking wet vest and shirt to the side. “Happy?”

“Immensely.”

Davey noticed now how much more obvious Jack’s stomach was. He wrung out his undershirt, revealing a few small stretch marks on Jack’s lower belly. Davey looked away slightly blushing.

Jack noticed the way Davey’s expression changed almost immediately and the way he looked away. He felt his face grow hot from embarrassment. “You think I’m gross, don’t ya?”

Davey looked back at Jack. “What?”

Jack shook his head and stood up. “You think I’m disgusting too, right? That I’m just some… some fatass! Some disgustingly huge fatass! Huh? Is that what you think?”

Davey felt his words jumble up in his throat. “I…Jacky listen-”

“No! I know what I am! I know I’m some ugly pig! Kath made it pretty clear to me, and I know the rest of the guys are gonna think the same thing! So just say it! I don’t even care anymore, Dave!”

Davey felt his heart drop at the way Jack sounded. He sounded heartbroken or like he’d been bottling up these thoughts for a while. Davey shook his head. “Jacky… I don’t think any of that. I think you look perfectly fine. What makes you think any of that?” He stood up and put his hands on Jack’s shoulders.

Jack took in a few deep breaths. “I… I don’t know.” He sighed. “I guess it’s just cause… Kath broke up with me. She said she didn’t like the way I looked no more. That I was fat.”

Davey rolled his eyes and scoffed. He couldn’t believe Katherine would do something like that. Although he did know they’d break up sooner or later, he didn’t think it’d be for a reason as silly as appearance.

Jack continued. “I just thought that if she didn’t like the way I looked, imagine how the other fellas would react…”

Davey sighed. He dragged Jack down to sit next to him on the floor. “Look… Jacky, I’m sorry to hear that you two broke up, but if she broke up with you for that reason, then good riddance to her. Someone breaking up with you because you’re a little overweight is probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. So, what she says shouldn’t matter. I don’t think the rest of the newsies would have that mindset. You’re all family, and I don’t think what you look like matters to them. You’re still their leader. You’re still Jack Kelly. And I think that’s all that matters to them.”

A smile tugged at Jack’s lips. “Ya really think so?”

Davey smiled. “I know so. That’s all that matters to me anyway… Besides, you shouldn’t be ashamed of your body at all. It’s perfect.”

Jack scoffed. “Really? I can think of a few reasons to be ashamed.”

“And I can think of a few reasons you shouldn’t.”

Jack tilted his head. “And what would that be?”

Davey thought for a second. “Well, you’re certainly softer than before. Kind of like a giant teddy bear. You’re healthier than before considering you’re lack of food. Plus…” Davey blushed lightly and looked away. “…it is a nice look for you.”

Jack felt a smile spread across his face. He looked out the window, then down at himself. Maybe, he didn’t look as bad as he thought he did. Maybe Davey was right. The newsies were his family. They wouldn’t care about what he looked like. Davey certainly didn’t care.

He snickered. “Thanks Davey. That really does make me feel better.”

Davey smiled. “Of course, that’s what I’m here for.” He put an arm around Jack. Jack leaned into Davey’s hug. They sat like that the rest of the time they waited for the rain to stop.

**Author's Note:**

> Should I write more fluff like this?


End file.
